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…
Category Principal
Read More5 Tips On Preparing For Your Next Launch
Making the Most of Learning Moments
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…
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…
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…
Why Do You Lead? 3 Responses To Consider
A few nights ago as I let the dog out one last time, I noticed an eery glow in the night sky. A blanket of fresh snow was covering our neighborhood, and the all-encompassing-white was casting a hazy light on…
Supporting Oklahoma Education
This has been a tough week for Oklahoma public education: Yesterday a bill moved out of committee to the full state senate that would legalize vouchers. If passed, this would allow public funds to be used by private schools. Earlier…
Encouraging A Culture Of Acceptance
Last Friday our basketball teams played at home. Unfortunately, we lost both varsity games. But the night was not a loss. At half time, our athletic directors introduced a team of student athletes who had returned with medals from their…
Research Supports Positive Engagement: 5 Ways To Improve Yours
When I was teacher, I would often hear my students talk about their other instructors. It didn’t take long to discover who were the superstars. They were the ones whose lessons were both rigorous and engaging–the ones who greeted students…
Making Good Memories–For Yourself And Others
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…
Going For Gold: An Essential Ingredient
Our high school football team is headed for the state championship game this coming weekend. Two years ago when these senior players were sophomores, their team won no games. It was a painful experience for everyone. But the coaches and…
What Can We Accomplish Together?
The European Space Agency’s historical comet landing of the space craft Rosetta last week has my head spinning. First of all, imagine organizing a team of scientists and space engineers who design and launch a space craft with the goal…
The Other Side Of The Moon: 3 Tips For Handling Misunderstanding
When I was a boy, I loved to lay on the front porch at night. With no streetlights or neighbors, our house was enveloped in darkness, surrounded by swampy creeks and woods, accompanied by the sound of crickets and the…
Why Invest In Growing Leaders? 7 Free Resources
Last week I had the opportunity to share with a graduate class of educators studying school leadership. We talked for about an hour about essential roles of school leaders, and then I fielded questions from class members for another half hour. At one point, a…
Let’s Celebrate Our Profession
Across our state, schools have seen shortages in certified teaching applicants. The causes for this dilemma are numerous, but instead of focusing on these challenges, I’d like to celebrate some of the young men and women who have answered the…
Building Positive School Culture: 20 Ideas From Principals
School or work environments are like home environments–it doesn’t take long to figure out if you are in a happy, productive place or not. Last week I was in Oklahoma City for a meeting with OASSP, the Oklahoma Association of…
Avoiding Pitfalls: 3 Leadership Tips From Good to Great
The other day I was going through my books when I came across a copy of Jim Collins Good To Great. It had been a couple of years since I had read it, but as I flipped the pages, I…
Are You Growing? 5 Questions To Ask Yourself
Recently, my junior high daughter began taking clarinet lessons from a private tutor. When I picked her up from her first session, she said, “I have been playing for three years, but I learned today that I wasn’t putting the…
Reality Check: 4 Suggestions For Observing Teachers
I 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 gets the ball in the hole…
4 Reminders For A New School Year
We just welcomed our teachers and students back to school. It was hard work to prepare for all the moving parts that make up master schedules, professional development, and schedule pick-ups. But there is also great satisfaction in having everyone…
3 Leadership Takeaways From A Relay Team
Last year I was attending a high school track meet when our school’s 4 x 400-meter-relay team faced a rival team with a runner known as one of the fastest boys in the state. Our four-man-team actually held the lead…
6 Tips For Setting Up School Email Campaigns
Last year one of my team members suggested I start emailing parents regular updates on our school. I started by using a list exported from our student information system. The effort soon turned into a habit, and I began receiving…
6 Ways To Avoid Making The Wrong Calls
I 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 neighbor always seemed to be home;…
Key Responsibility Areas Part Two
This has been a busy summer of hiring new teammates and preparing for the school year to come. In one of our recent interviews, I was asked to give some feedback on some of the responsibility areas in our office…
Remembering Grace: Advocacy In Education
Another hat a principal must sometimes wear is that of the advocate. I am currently visiting Washington D.C. on the part of the National Association of Secondary Principals as the state coordinator for Oklahoma. But really I am here for…
7 Reasons Why Documentation Is Still A Good Leadership Tool
This week I have spent a lot of time with to-do lists as well as pulling together with my team members to coordinate important end-of-school-year activities. If you are leading a school, organization, or a team, you know the challenges…
5 Lessons From My First Year As Site Principal
: Play in new window | DownloadJust a few days ago, we celebrated graduation. The next day we wrapped up with professional development and teacher check-out. When I arrived home that night, I felt both exhausted and exhilarated. It was…
Interview With Rachel Skerritt
The following is an interview between Rachel Skerritt and me. Rachel is the Principal of Eastern Senior High School, a D.C. Public School. She was also the Principal Ambassador Fellow for the U.S. Department of Education. My goal in posting…
Encouraging Positive Attitudes About Testing
Our teachers have been preparing our students all year for the testing window we are now in. Many of those strategies included best practices like bench-mark testing, curriculum mapping, or introducing literacy standards across all subject areas–to name a few.…
Guest Post: Pivotal Leadership
This is a guest post by Justin Baeder, Director of The Principal Center. He writes about productivity for school leaders at Eduleadership.org. We all want to improve student learning in our schools. We want to achieve better results, create better…
Interview With Justin Baeder
The following is a Q & A between Justin Baeder and me. A few months ago, I was introduced to Justin first via a Twitter exchange. Soon afterwards, I discovered his free 21-Day Instructional Leadership Challenge. Although I was not…
And All That Without A Gun
I was talking to an assistant principal friend from a neighboring district who was telling me some funny stories from her middle school experience. She said her own mom and dad like to ask her to tell stories from school.…
Dealing With Media Pressure During A Crisis
We recently mourned the heartbreaking death of a second student this school year. She was murdered in an evening domestic dispute that resulted in a double-homicide. Her great-grandmother was also a victim. The day after her death, we had counselors…
5 Ways to Cultivate a Culture of Acceptance
The other day, I sat in a conversation with a student and a DHS worker who had come to take her into custody. She was no longer able to stay at her host home and would be moving back to…
5 Ways To Respond To Resistance
One 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 hands lifted in the air, his…
7 Mid-School Year Reminders on Finishing Strong
Recently, I was inspired by the story of Diana Nyad, who made it a personal goal to swim from Cuba to Florida and did so at the age of 64. Her 100-mile feat came with many unsuccessful previous attempts, the…
Interview with Steven Parker
The following is a Q & A between Steven Parker and me. Steven Parker is the principal of Cedar Lee Middle School in Bealton, Virginia. He was also named the 2013 Virginia Middle School Principal of the Year. My goal…
One Day in the Life of a Principal
Sometimes people ask me what a “typical day” looks like for me. Instead of creating a list of my responsibilities, perhaps an example of one day from last semester may serve as a better illustration:
7 Hats Principals Must Be Prepared To Wear
Recently, I was asked to speak to a group of teachers who are interested in becoming school principals. My task was to summarize some of the principal’s roles and responsibilities. If you are a principal, I am sure you could…
Interview with Doug Stafford
The following is a Q & A between Doug Stafford and me. Doug Stafford is principal of Emerson Middle School in Enid, Oklahoma. He was named 2013 Oklahoma Middle School Principal of the Year. My goal in posting interviews with…
4 Lessons in Teamwork from my Son’s Hospital Stay
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about my son’s battle and recovery from an infectious disease known as Kawasaki. I am happy to report he is back in school and is happy and energetic. He has made a great…
Interview with James Johnston
The following is a Q & A between James Johnston and me. James Johnston is the Principal of Alice Ott Middle School and the 2013 Oregon Middle School Principal of the Year. My goal in posting interviews with successful leaders…
10 Ways to Communicate About Your School
Recently, on a Twitter feed, I saw the quote: Communication is 100% of what a principal does. Although this may seem like an exaggeration, I believe it is true of almost all educators, especially school leaders. This past weekend, I…
Planting, Growing, and Flourishing
I heard a great interview with motivational speaker/author Jon Gordon recently where he was asked: What should you do if you find yourself unmotivated to face a day’s work? He responded by saying: You should plant yourself right where you…
Interview with James Holifield
The following is a Q & A exchange between James Holifield and me. James “Jim” Holifield is the principal at New Prairie Middle School in New Carlisle, Indiana. As the Indiana Middle School Principal of the Year, he represented his…
Using “KRA’s” To Increase Effectiveness
Whether for you are leading a team of individuals, or you are a team member who wants to more effective, it is important for everyone to know his or her role. Sometimes our greatest loss of time happens when we…
4 Ways to Learn From Other People’s Expertise
A few months ago I was planning to attend a principal’s meeting near the state capital. Since I was going alone, I asked a principal friend from a neighboring district if we could ride together. Little did I know how…
5 Ways To Maintain Sanity During Stressful Times
This past spring, as I transitioned from assistant principal to principal, I began to wonder if I had made the right decision. As the school year closed, and my former principal departed, I found myself wrapping up many of my…
And Then I Met A Teacher
He met a teacher, and it changed everything. Jim Wingo was fresh out of high school when he started working at the local butcher shop. But his high school agriculture teacher, John Krivokapish, had other plans for him. When he…
8 Ways to Discipline with Dignity
School discipline is often a hotly debated topic of discussion. If viewed simply as punishment, it is often ineffective in changing behavior. But if viewed as a way to measure, check, and coach, the results are often more positive. Toward…
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…