with William D. Parker and Friends
: Play in new window | DownloadThe other day, a principal friend emailed me this question: >>Will, I’d like your thoughts on something I grapple with: that is the importance I place on staff approval of what I do or…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast month, Justin Baeder, from Principal Center Radio, invited me as a guest on his show to talk to me about my new book Messaging Matters: How to Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach…
: Play in new window | DownloadReflection is such an important part of growth — whether that involves your own growth or the growth of your school or team. Jon Harper from BAM Radio’s podcast “My Bad” is a school…
: Play in new window | DownloadJethro Jones is principal of Tanana Middle School in Fairbanks, Alaska. He is also the host of Transformative Principal Podcast. As NASSP’s Principal 2017 National Digital Principal of the Year, he was honored this…
: Play in new window | DownloadRecently I was speaking to school leaders at Okaloosa County Schools’ Summer Leadership Academy in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. I decided to combine my travels there with an opportunity for my family to stay…
: Play in new window | DownloadSometimes my left elbow aches. I have a scar there from when I broke it falling from a horse almost twenty years ago. When it starts hurting, I can usually be certain the weather…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week’s post is an encore episode I shared a year ago. Have you thought why your time away from school can help you better serve your school? Regardless of whether someone is an…
: Play in new window | DownloadSchool leader and podcaster Danny Bauer shared a conversation with me about his education journey as well as how leaders are collaborating together to keep growing personally and professionally. Danny “Sunshine” Bauer is the…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in high school, my dad reenlisted in the Navy and we moved to New York where he was stationed while his ship was in dry-dock. For a country boy from West…
: Play in new window | DownloadInvisibilia is a fascinating podcast about the invisible forces that affect us without us being aware. In a January 29, 2015 episode, the reporters narrating the episode were talking about a phenomenon known as…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne summer when our oldest daughter, Emily, was beginning to run track, she signed up to run her first 5k with her younger sister during the July 4th holiday. Unfortunately, our younger daughter ended…
: Play in new window | DownloadOccasionally my wife will remind me when it’s been awhile since I’ve cleaned out my closet. So I’ll take time to sort out what I don’t need anymore. I can easily fill a couple…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne 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…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast month I was asked to share a webinar on how to prepare for our state’s accreditation visits. I decided to begin the conversation with the practical steps we take with my school team…
: Play in new window | DownloadDuring my daughter’s first year in high school, I drove to the local lake dam spillway to meet her teammates for a weekend track workout. After twenty minutes of warm-up running on the grassy…
: Play in new window | DownloadI was listening to an interview between Daniel Bauer and Jethro Jones the other day on Daniel’s Better Leaders, Better Schools podcast. Daniel asked Jethro, an Alaska principal, “What is one of your regrets…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few years ago, I had the privilege to participate in a ten-day tour of four cities in China. On one leg of the trip, I sat by a Mongolian woman who was fluent…
: Play in new window | DownloadYesterday John Wink hosted a Twitter challenge called #LoveMySchoolDay where he invited educators across the country and around the world to celebrate their schools and share out moments, ideas, photos, etc. of why they…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few nights ago, I was sitting on the couch with my wife, Missy, when our four children slowly made their way into the living room. Our lives are so busy with three teenage…
: Play in new window | DownloadThe other morning, on my drive to school with my daughter, I was listening to a story on NPR called The Scarcity Trap: Why We Keep Digging When We’re Stuck in a Hole by…
: Play in new window | DownloadEach of us faces different challenges in leadership, and it is important to reflect on the caution lights along the way. This week I wanted to take you back to a podcast episode I…
: Play in new window | DownloadA couple of weeks ago, my wife and I took our oldest daughter, Emily, out to dinner. She turned 18 this year, and we wanted to encourage her in the opportunities and challenges she…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few years ago, I was talking to a senior student, Jesse, who was publishing his first book. He shared with me that he had a great opportunity to speak at a gathering of…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was boy, my parents would often stop by a decrepit farmhouse where they had first lived after being married. My great-grandfather had built it in the early 1900’s with a big front…
: Play in new window | DownloadDuring my first two years in school admin, I barely slept, rarely exercised, and seldom had time for my family. I’ll never forget the night I was up late after my wife and I…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen 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…
: Play in new window | DownloadAlthough I grew up in West Tennessee, I was born in San Diego, California when my dad was stationed there in the Navy. Some of my earliest toddler memories include playing on the beach…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was going to graduate school for my Master’s Degree in Education Leadership, I decided to conduct my own informal research. Over a number of weeks, I talked to current and retired principals…
: Play in new window | DownloadAfter living in Oklahoma for more than twenty years, I’ve become keenly aware that our state’s economy is intricately related to oil and gas.In addition to our rich Native American heritage, almost every major…
: Play in new window | DownloadA couple of months ago, I enjoyed some special time away with my son, Jack. He had turned 11, and when his older sisters reached that age, my wife took each of them away…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne of my first superintendents had been an elementary teacher. Sometimes she would begin our leadership meetings by bringing a shopping bag full of hands-on materials (paper, scissors, glue, popsicle sticks) as demonstrations for…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis is a dual-post including a podcast interview with Principal Adam Beauchamp who shares the digital tools his school is using for enhancing communication. Adam shared with me via a recent webinar on Communication…
: Play in new window | DownloadOne of my favorite college education professors would often start class with a provoking question. As we would grapple with how to answer and/or support our positions, he would stand there with his large…
: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, I sit down with Shawn Sheehan and talk about the lessons from his life, teaching, and advocacy for education. Shawn is the 2016 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and was a…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week’s podcast episode is an encore recording of one of my favorite growing-up stories. As you listen, I hope you take time to remember your own good memories. As we approach Thanksgiving, I…
: Play in new window | DownloadI remember my first year of teaching when I walked into a boy’s bathroom that was reeking of smoke. A couple of boys were standing at the urinals when one of them dropped a…
: Play in new window | DownloadThe European Space Agency’s historical comet landing of the spacecraft Rosetta in 2014 was an amazing feat I share about in this week’s podcast. First of all, imagine organizing a team of scientists and…
: Play in new window | DownloadRecently I was asked to be a guest presenter for an undergraduate education class at Bartlesville Wesleyan University, a college not too far from my high school. At the end of my presentation, I…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was boy, my dad bought a long, green Pontiac station wagon. Long before the creation of the mini-van, it was the car of choice for a large family. We spent countless of…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week when I was hosting a webinar for school leaders, an overwhelming number of responses were made about the challenges of overcoming apathy. How does a leader initiate positive changes when others resist,…
As a practicing principal, I need to be practicing. And as much as I enjoy writing, speaking or presenting about school leadership, my primary responsibility as a school leader is serving my school. So this past summer, I was thrilled when…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast weekend I traveled with my son, Jack, and his Cub Scout pack to a joint campout with an older Boy Scout troop. It was a perfect October weekend: 70’s with sun and breeze;…
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week I left school early so that I could watch our cross-country teams run at a local race. It was one of those days where the sun and clouds kept alternating in the…
: Play in new window | DownloadI have a lot of friends who are good golfers. I am not one of them. But I recognize a good golfer when I see one. He or she is usually the one who…
: Play in new window | DownloadI remember when my daughter began taking clarinet lessons from a private tutor in junior high. When I picked her up from her first session, she said, “I have been playing for three years,…
: Play in new window | DownloadI once knew a teaching couple who told me a funny story. They lived right across the street from a man who never seemed to go to work. During their breaks from school, the…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was a junior high student, I remember feeling pretty clueless about what to expect in high school. Sometimes my teachers would tell me to expect to be treated like a number. At…
I’m so excited to host my first Solution Tree #atplc Chat via Twitter on Thursday 8/18 at 9 pm EST/ 8 pm CST. Topic: Avoiding Education Malpractice: Let’s Talk About Our Strategies! Here are six questions for the chat:
: Play in new window | DownloadLast Saturday my children were watching the Olympics throughout the day. I was walking through the living room when I glanced up at the screen and saw men’s cycling. After six and half hours…
: Play in new window | DownloadToday’s episode is in response to a listener question, “How can we create a sense of ownership for students into today’s education system?” Although answering this question could be very long, let me ask…
Yesterday, a principal who heard me speak at the USA Conference in Wichita, Kansas, emailed me. She asked asked if I had samples of some the newsletters I share with my parents, students, or teachers. As you’re starting out another…
Earlier this school year, I had a long conversation with a student who had been abandoned. He was fourteen years old. His biological mother was not in his life. A guardian had adopted him, but when she had difficulty with…