PMP:110 Six Tips for Education Advocacy
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week I was walking back to my car from a visit to Oklahoma’s state capitol, when I saw a line of reporters, police, and education supporters stopped in front of me. I just…
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Read MorePMP:110 Six Tips for Education Advocacy
PMP:108 Using Technology to Message with Parents, the Community, and Beyond
: Play in new window | DownloadIn 2016, a Pew Research report showed 62% of adults receive news via social media – a 49% increase from 2012. 70% of people in western countries use social networks like Facebook or Twitter.…
PMP:106 Rethinking How School Leaders Help Teachers Grow
: Play in new window | DownloadWhat kind of school environment encourages teachers to race tricycles down the hallways while also engaging in deep conversations about student learning in PLC’s? Kenny Ward, this week’s special guest, discusses how schools like…
PMP:105 Using Technology to Message with Students
: Play in new window | DownloadIn Tim Elmore’s book Generation IY, he shares data from his 2015 research showing the following trends among youth. • 75 percent post on Facebook • 73 percent shop online • 49 percent Tweet…
PMP:104 Messaging with Students — Environment, Celebration, and Communication
: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, Rachel Simmons wrote an article in the Washington Post called Perfectionism among teens is rampant (and we’re not helping). It is a good reminder how this generation of students faces challenges and opportunities different…
PMP:103 Standing Back Up When You Feel Knocked Down
: Play in new window | DownloadLast Sunday my family and I were watching the Winter Olympics when the men’s 30km Skiathlon began. As the race started, Norway’s Simen Krueger fell. Snow was flying all around him as two other…
PMP:102 Four Essentials for Advancing in Your Leadership
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week I was speaking to a group of Assistant Principals near Montgomery, Alabama, when I noticed a familiar face at a table near the back of the room. I saw a man whom…
PMP:101 Strategies for Messaging with Teachers
: Play in new window | DownloadThis summer my wife and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. For some reason, I’ve never thought of myself as older, but I realize now that I’m preparing for this anniversary, my children…
PMP:100 Celebrating One Hundred Episodes of Storytelling
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was ten years old, I had an old tape cassette player. It was the kind that had a built-in speaker and looked like a radio the size of small book. You know,…
PMP:099 Collaborating for Results – Interview with Dr. Judi Barber
: Play in new window | DownloadThis Christmas break, I took the family to see the newest Star Wars movie. If you haven’t seen it, please note the forthcoming spoiler alert. In the opening scene, Jedi-in-training, Rey, has journeyed to…
PMP098: Messaging with Teachers – The Foundations, Models, and Framework for Strong Instructional Leadership
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in high school and college, I spent a lot of time diving for shells in the lakes near my home in West Tennessee. It wasn’t as glamorous as it sounds. Lake…
PMP:097 Building a Community of Messaging with Entanglement, Engagement, and Mission
: Play in new window | DownloadLast month I enjoyed some time away with family in West Tennessee. When I was there, my son Jack and I hiked the backwoods behind my parents’ farm. There is a winding creek that…
PMP:095 Encouraging Childlike Wonder in Learning
: 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…
PMP:094 Ten Takeaways on Communication & Lessons in Teamwork
: Play in new window | DownloadJust a few days ago I was presenting to principals in Wichita, Kansas. I was a little nervous because I had been having trouble with my voice from some bronchitis in my lungs. The…
PMP:093 Why are You Leading? 4 Questions for Refocusing on Your Destination
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in college I climbed my first mountain which was an active volcano near Guatemala City. We loaded a bus the night before and arrived hours before sunrise to begin our hike…
PMP:091 Reflecting on Lessons in Leadership
: Play in new window | DownloadOne of my favorite ways to enjoy a long drive is by listening to podcasts or audio-books. And I especially find biographies a helpful way to learn lessons about life and leadership. Two audiobooks…
PMP:089 Marching off the Map with Andrew McPeak
: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, on a trip to Philadelphia, I was sitting in airport gate seating area, which gave me a view of the ground crews prepping planes for departure. Workers were driving baggage trains, pulling fuel…
PMP:088 Moving from Average to Excellence in School Relationships
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was in college, I was a resident advisor in the dormitory where I lived. My dorm director, Scott Boss, was a graduate student who not only supervised all the resident advisors in…
PMP:087 Reflections on Disciplining with Dignity, Remembering Teachers, and Maintaining Sanity During Stressful Times
: Play in new window | DownloadRecently, my twelve-year-old son, Jack, and I took a long road trip from Oklahoma to West Tennessee to visit my parents. Gran and Grandaddy live in the country–so far out they receive no cell…
PMP:086 Now We’re Talking – Interview with Justin Baeder
: 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…
PMP:085 Managing Demands, Dealing with Difficult People, and Promoting Positive Morale
: Play in new window | DownloadWhen I was a boy, I loved to walk the garden where my grandparents grew summer vegetables. My grandfather had an interesting way of planting tomatoes. He would dig a deep hole, scatter a…
PMP:084 Adapting to the Changing Winds of Education
: Play in new window | DownloadI’ve been reading an excellent book by Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak, Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World, and it has sparked a lot of thought. The first…
PMP: 083 The Importance of Mindset, Motivation, and Modeling for Education Leaders
: Play in new window | DownloadA few days ago I was at airport security when I ran into a parent from my previous school. We exchanged pleasantries, and I asked him about his children. As we said goodbyes, he…
PMP:080 A Reality Check for New or Aspiring Principals—10 Takeaways for the Road Ahead
: Play in new window | DownloadThe other night I was invited to visit a university classroom with sixteen educators who are working on graduate degrees in educational leadership. I listened to each of them present vision and mission statements…
PMP:079 Whose Permission Are You Waiting For?
: Play in new window | DownloadLast week I heard a presentation by Will Richardson, educator and author, who shared stories about new ways students are interacting with learning today. Here are three examples he shared: He talked about Nate…
PMP:077 Four Tips for #DadsAsPrincipals
: 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…
PMP:075 Learning from Mistakes with Jon Harper
: 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…
PMP:074 Growing Your Digital Leadership with Jethro Jones
: 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…
PMP:072 Predicting Your School Climate
: 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…
PMP:Encore 028 Why Your Vacation Matters
: 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…
PMP:071 Daniel Bauer Interview – How Masterminds Help You Grow
: 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…
PMP:070 How Your Brain Resists Change
: 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…
PMP:069 Entanglement & Why Messaging Matters
: 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…
PMP:067 Wrapping Up Your School Year—Planning for Summer Break
: 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…
PMP:065 Celebration Ideas for Finishing The School Year
: 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…
PMP:064 Five Tips For Finishing Strong
: 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…
PMP:063 Reflecting on Regrets & Rewards
: 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…
PMP:060 How Mindfulness Influences Leadership
: 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…
PMP:059 How Does Scarcity Affect Your Mindset?
: 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…
PMP:058 Triggering the Brain with Wonder
: Play in new window | DownloadThe 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…
PMP: Encore 05 Caution Lights for the Leadership Journey
: 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…
PMP 054: 7 Tips on Rest & Rejuvenation
: 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…
PMP 053: 3 Tips for Responding Under Pressure
: 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…
PMP 051: The Shocking Truth About Your Decision-Making
: 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…
PMP 050: The 5 Marks of a Learning Culture
: 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…
PMP 049: Why Self-Control Matters–5 Benefits for Leaders
: 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…
PMP 048: Looking at 2017–Let’s Stay Connected!
: 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…
PMP 046: 5 Tips for Responding to Resistance
: 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…
PMP:045 Shawn Sheehan “Teach Like Me” (Lessons in Risk, Failure and Wow)
: 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…
PMP Bonus Track: Focusing on the Simple Joys of Life
: 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…
PMP:044 How Challenges Help You Grow
: 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…
PMP:043 Lessons from a Comet Landing (What Can We Accomplish Together?)
: 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…