Category Leadership

Encore146: Balancing Priorities with Jen Schwanke

Thank you @JenSchwanke for the great takeaways in this encore episode! #principalmatters #edleadership

PMP175: Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell

: Play in new window | DownloadDo you remember what is was like to be a middle school student? For many people, memories of those years often bring back stories filled with anxiety and awkward physical, emotional, and social changes.

PMP174: 10 Areas to Focus on for Growth as a Leader with Chris Legleiter

: Play in new window | DownloadEvery person in your school is at a different level of growth. Not just students, but teachers are also at stages of growth. Leadership is not any different. Some educators are just beginning the…

PMP173: Lessons in Leadership from Your Scars

: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in college, I had a blue 1981 Toyota Celica that overheated on the long trip to Oklahoma, and the engine burned up. It was my first car. I had bought it…

PMP172: Learning and Leading with John Wink

Thank you @johnwink90 for sharing these great takeaways for teachers and school leaders! #principalmatters @SolutionTree

PMP:170 Four Lessons in Teamwork from my Son’s Hospital Stay

: Play in new window | DownloadSix years ago, on October 31, 2013, my son Jack was eight years old. We had just finished an amazing day of trick-or-treating, and he asked if he could change back into his normal…

PMP169: Leading into the Wind – Lessons from Dave Sandowich

: Play in new window | DownloadA few weeks ago, I had the privilege to spend a few hours sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with Dave Sandowich. He commanded his 42-foot sailboat, Charis, with the skill of a man who…

PMP168: Managing Your Day with Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang

: Play in new window | DownloadIf you are like most school leaders, time management can be one of the most difficult parts of your work. Most new school leaders I meet explain how overwhelming the list of to-do’s can…

PMP167: Keeping Your Leadership Focused on Service, Not Self

: Play in new window | DownloadLast week was the first time (except for a rare Christmas holiday) that I have not shared a blog post or podcast episode update in almost five years. At first, I thought it was…

PMP166: Unique Challenges of Rural Principals and Why Your Story Matters

: Play in new window | DownloadThis week I’m sharing another episode from the road as I have been traveling across my state, Oklahoma, visiting principals at schools or in regional meetings. Recently, I visited Texhoma, Oklahoma, with High School…

PMP165: Three Lessons in Decision Making from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink

: Play in new window | DownloadSeveral years ago, I was standing in our school lunchroom watching hundreds of students eat breakfast. I was positioned in the middle section of the room, and the front doors of the school were…

PMP164: On the Road – Thoughts for New School Leaders

: Play in new window | DownloadThese last couple of week, I’ve been on the road a lot visiting schools and principals across my state. For the next couple of weeks, I plan to share some thoughts from the road…

PMP163: Encouraging an Environment of Growth – Questions and Answers with Jethro Jones

Thank you @jethrojones for collaborating together to answer principal questions! #education #leadership #principalmatters #transformativeprincipals

PMP162: Go! Community – How to Harness the Power of the Room with Danny Bauer

: Play in new window | DownloadAuthor David Weinberger once said: “The smartest person in the room is the room itself.” In other words, the collective power of our thinking is always more powerful than working in isolation. By connecting…

PMP161: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 2

: Play in new window | DownloadLast week Jen Schwanke and I answered questions from podcast listeners. Listen to Part 1 here. This week we take three more questions from principals on parenting, women in leadership, and professional growth. Here’s…

PMP160: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 1

: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, several questions came from Principal Matters community members. This week, Jen Schwanke, principal and author, joined me to answer several questions from principals or aspiring principals. Here are a three questions we take…

PMP159: Engaging Students in Shaping Their Own Stories with Jesse Haynes

: Play in new window | DownloadJesse Haynes is one of those rare people you meet in life who has dared to make his dreams come true. He is a recent graduate from the University of Tulsa who has reached…

PMP:Encore076 Messaging Matters – How to Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students and Reach Communities

: Play in new window | DownloadIn 2017, Justin Baeder, from Principal Center Radio, invited me as a guest on his show to talk to me about my book Messaging Matters: How to Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities. Justin was…

PMP158: Why Telling Your Own Story Matters

: Play in new window | DownloadA few nights ago I was sitting in a theater with my wife watching the movie, Yesterday, starring Himesh Patel and Lily James. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I do…

PMP157: Preparing for the Start-of-School Year

: 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 she arrives late to school, she has already missed breakfast and she’s…

PMP156: 6 Tips for Managing School-Wide Changes

: Play in new window | DownloadWhen my family recently visited the Rocky Mountain National Park, we enjoyed drives through snow-peaked mountains. But my 13-year old son, Jack, was most excited about hiking and climbing. One morning, we gathered the…

PMP155: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 2

: Play in new window | DownloadA few years ago, we had a lockdown drill at the high school where I was principal. Local police had called to say they were aware of a potential threat against our school on…

PMP153: Maintaining Balance and Focusing on What Matters, Part 2

: Play in new window | DownloadWhen Principal Jen Schwanke was talking to one of her teachers about the importance of balance, her teacher asked an honest question. “Why should I do this when you don’t?” Jen realized then that…

PMP152: Maintaining Balance and Staying Focused on What Matters

: Play in new window | DownloadWe just celebrated Mother’s Day. This time of year is a good reminder that our families play such an important role in our lives outside of school. No matter how many principals I visit,…

PMP151: Hiring & Retaining High Quality Teachers, Part 2

: Play in new window | DownloadSeveral weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting Norman High School, in Norman, Oklahoma. Dr. Scott Beck was recently named Oklahoma’s High School Principal of the Year, and I wanted to touch-base with…

PMP:150 Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 1

: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, 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, Jen…

PMP:148 The “Why’s” and “How’s” of Managing Adult Conflict

: Play in new window | DownloadOne of the biggest surprises for school new school leaders may be the conflicts that arise with adults. Whether you are encountering conflicts with parents, colleagues or community members, these situations can be difficult…

PMP:147 Providing Focused Professional Development

: Play in new window | DownloadWhen you think about providing professional development, do you feel stressed or excited? For many principals, providing professional development can be a daunting task. The good news is that professional development can become something…

PMP:146 Good Habits for Balancing Priorities

: Play in new window | DownloadHave you ever felt overwhelmed in trying to balance priorities? If you’re like me, you can probably think of more than once where student discipline, parent concerns, and teacher feedback provided you more tasks…

PMP:145 Promoting a Culture of Trust – Part 2

: Play in new window | DownloadWhen is the last time you heard the following words? “We do what’s best for kids.” Of course, we want school leaders to do what is best for students. But we also want to…

PMP141: How Culture Drives Successful Learning Communities – Interview with Dr. Kyle Palmer

: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, I had the privilege of talking to Dr. Kyle Palmer about the lessons he has learned in his years as a teacher, principal and district leader. As we talked about the successful professional…

PMP:Encore079 Whose Permission Are You Waiting For?

: Play in new window | DownloadNext week, I have the privilege of gathering together with educators and school leaders for a Leadership & Learning Conference in Norman, Oklahoma. Guest speakers Jeff Zoul, Jack Berckemeyer, and Christine Handy will be…

PMP:140 Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders – Interview with Jen Schwanke

: Play in new window | DownloadI’ll never forget the semester I transitioned from assistant principal to principal. Even though I had been in school administration for nine years at the time, the move to a new position brought back…

PMP:139 Building Stronger Collaboration – Interview with Diana Lebsack

: Play in new window | DownloadGreat teams understand the importance of depending on one another. With the many roles of a school leader, one of the biggest challenges is moving from independence to interdependence. In other words, how do…

PMP:138 Middle Level Kindness Challenge – Interview with Daniel O’Donnell

: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, Education Week shared a post, A Look at How Principals Really Drive School Improvement, with a summary of a study conducted by by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. Researchers studied…

PMP:137 Reaching and Teaching Students Exposed to Trauma with Dr. Barbara Sorrels

: Play in new window | DownloadOne day I was walking through one of my high school buildings when I heard the sound of a teacher yelling for help. I sprinted toward the sound, and I found a teacher trying…

PMP:136 Crucial Conversations for Reaching Targeted Destinations

: Play in new window | DownloadI’ve been on the road a lot lately. And as I travel, I often think about how to reach my destination while also making the experience a positive one. For me, that means trying…

PMP:135 Using FOMO for Positive School Culture with Kim Coody

: Play in new window | DownloadIn a recent conversation with author and generation expert Dr. Tim Elmore, he shared how many students are affected by “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out). For many young people, this condition is demonstrated by…

PMP:134 Creating Engaging Cultures with Dr. Tim Elmore

: Play in new window | DownloadHow do engage students while also understanding the unique challenges and strengths of Generation Z students? Several years ago, I was introduced to Dr. Tim Elmore through his curriculum and online resources for leadership.…

PMP:Encore043 What Can You Accomplish Together?

: Play in new window | DownloadThe European Space Agency’s historical comet landing of the spacecraft Rosetta in 2014 was an amazing feat. Imagine organizing a team of scientists and space engineers who design and launch a spacecraft with the…

PMP:132 Frameworks for Managing Student Discipline

: Play in new window | DownloadDuring my second year as a high school assistant principal, I received notice one morning that a number of students were missing items from their lockers. Upon further investigation, we discovered that in one…

PMP:131 School Without Walls – Interview with Richard Trogisch

: Play in new window | DownloadOn Tuesday, September 25, 2018, I walked into a D.C. high school called School Without Walls, a four-story building interspersed with hallways full of art. I saw hand-built go-carts with bicycle parts lining a…

PMP:130 Five Lessons in Resilience – Reflections from Unbroken

: Play in new window | DownloadSeveral years ago, Oklahoma received one of the worst blizzards I had ever seen in a state that sometimes has no snow fall during winter. As our community was plunged into a blanket of…

PMP:129 Why School Culture Matters – Interview with Heather Shaffery

: Play in new window | DownloadThis time of year, I’m on the road a lot visiting schools across my state. As I drive across Oklahoma, trees and fields have been brushed with the red and orange hues of fall.…

PMP:128 Integrating Technology School-wide with Janalyn Taylor

: Play in new window | DownloadHow can schools integrate technology across all classrooms? Janalyn Taylor, Principal of Nance Elementary in Clinton, Oklahoma, believes that school leaders must be willing to model learning and teaching with technology in order to…