with William D. Parker and Friends
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was a Language Arts teacher, I would walk my students through a series of practices on identifying their surroundings and writing down the details. You could try it right now. Take a…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis summer my wife and I enjoyed time away celebrating our twenty fifth wedding anniversary in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. One afternoon we drove to Emerald Bay, a cove nestled a mile below the mountain…
: Play in new window | DownloadThe other day I was talking to a friend of mine who ran track in high school. When he was at his fastest, he could run a mile in 4 minutes and 30 seconds.…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I spotted the mud puddle, I thought it would be fun to jump it. The dirt road that ran along the edge of the field by our West Tennessee farmhouse was often traveled…
: Play in new window | DownloadHow are you anticipating the start of a new school year? This week I wanted to share some thoughts from a previous post as reminders for your new school year: Predicting Your School Climate Sometimes my…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few weeks ago, I was on an airplane with my oldest daughter, Emily, who just finished her first year of college and is enjoying summer break. Being with her brings back a lot…
: Play in new window | DownloadI’ve been on the road (and in planes) a lot the summer, and I have been thinking about issues and ideas I’ve been wanting to share with Principal Matters readers and listeners. This week…
: Play in new window | DownloadBalance is a popular word among life coaches and leadership authors. As important as it is to remember to invest in the meaningful areas of your life, too many people place unrealistic expectations upon…
: Play in new window | DownloadMy mother-in-law has Alzheimer’s. The condition began about ten years ago when we thought she was simply becoming more forgetful. But as her short-term memory declined, we realized she wasn’t just suffering from old…
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was little, I loved to stand in the garden as my grandparents tilled soil and put out spring tomatoes. The smell of freshly tilled dirt, the sun beating down on my back,…
: Play in new window | DownloadI’m a frequent flyer. The more I fly, the harder I find it is to stay focused when flight attendants are reviewing safety procedures. They could be standing right in front of me with…
: Play in new window | DownloadA few years ago, I sat in a gymnasium with bleachers filled with middle schoolers while I watched high school student Jesse Haynes, one of my own Skiatook seniors at the time, share about…
: Play in new window | DownloadHave you ever wondered what it would be like if you walked into your child’s room at home, looked around, gave him a quick nod, and then left him a walk-through-form listing the pros…
: Play in new window | DownloadI’ve noticed a group of principals trending on Twitter lately using the hashtag #dadsasprincipals. And my friend Daniel Bauer recently interviewed a group of these dedicated dads at last month’s National Principal Conference. You…
: 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 week’s post is more personal than school leadership related. Recently, my wife’s father-in-law, David L. Fulbright, passed away. He was a former teacher, minister, and counselor. He was also a great story-teller and…
: 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 | DownloadToday I’ve decided to take a break from a focus on school leadership and share some simple joys of life. During Thanksgiving Break, I took time to record a couple of songs that I…
: 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 | 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 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 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 | 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…
When I was a teenager, I was splitting logs for our woodpile when I couldn’t find the familiar wedge I normally used. Looking around I spotted an old axe head and decided it would have to do. Placing it into…
: Play in new window | DownloadThis week’s episode is a reminder of four reasons why your time away from school can help you better serve your school. Regardless of whether someone is an educator or not, or whether your…
The other day I was presenting to a small group of teachers and assistant principals on the many hats school leaders wear. As I was closing, I asked them to look at me. Everyone fixed his or her eyes on…
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…
: 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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,…
When I was in high school and college, my brothers and I worked part-time diving for mussell shells in the Kentucky Lake area. We would sell them by the pound at local markets, and those shells would in turn be…
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…
Last week I heard Dr. Adam Saenz speak at Oklahoma’s Engage Conference when he said, “Only when you find satisfaction in the totality of life can you really enjoy your calling.” School leadership is not just about the to-do’s of…
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…
Last week I drove a group of students to the State Superintendent’s Arts Awards ceremony in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Before we arrived at the event, we stopped in downtown Guthrie to see the historic buildings. Guthrie was the original state capital…
A friend who is also a reader asked me the other day to explain to him what I meant by being motivated by wonder. “Motivation by purpose, I understand,” he said. “But motivation by ‘wonder’? Can you tell me…
: Play in new window | DownloadDuring Christmas break, we visited my Tennessee family. Our kids enjoyed cousins, and we reveled in time together and making new memories. When I was growing up, I loved the quiet adventures of roaming…
Many of my childhood Christmas memories include sharing big dinners at Grandma’s, story-telling with family members, playing on the frozen pond with siblings and cousins, or just singing carols together. In reality, not everyone has nostalgic memories this time of…