7 Tips For Dealing With Challenging Students
A few years ago, I was talking to a teacher about a student she had volunteered to mentor. The young lady had had a difficult past, and the teacher had confided in me that some of their meetings had been…
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Read More7 Tips For Dealing With Challenging Students
Interview with Annette Breaux
This past February, I had the pleasure of hearing Annette Breaux present at the NASSP Ignite Conference. She is by far one of the most engaging, entertaining, and practical education speakers I have heard. She is also an avid writer…
5 Spring Break Reminders
When my eight-year-old son Jack and I went camping this past weekend, we enjoyed crisp mornings, yummy food, good hikes, warm fires, and great company. But as we finished supper Saturday night, we felt the first raindrops. Jack sidled up…
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.…
The Common Core Debate
Lately, a lot of controversy has arisen over the implementation of Common Core standards in public schools. A recent op-ed by George Will, and a resolution by the Oklahoma Republican Party calling for the end of Common Core demonstrate what…
6 Quick Leadership Takeaways From A Flight Through The Fog
Two weeks ago I attended the NASSP Ignite Conference in Dallas, Texas. On my flight home, the pilot informed us that we would encounter heavy fog at the Tulsa airport. As we began descending, we were shrouded in it. I…
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…
10 Tidbits From My First Year of Blogging
This month marks the end of my freshman year of blogging about school leadership. When I began, my goal was to create content for others in my field but in a way that was accessible to anyone. Specifically, I wanted…
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:
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…
8 Ways to Help Your School Manage Grief
This topic may be a little too recent to discuss with some perspective, but we recently lost a senior student in a car accident. She was one of our dream students: cheerleader, great student, fun-loving, and loved by all. You…
Interview with Mark Mambretti
The following is a Q & A between Mark Mambretti and me. Mark Mambretti is principal of East Aurora Middle School, located just outside of Buffalo, New York; a 5-8 school of 600 students and 100 faculty This year, he…
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 Carol Dweck
The following is a Q & A between Carol Dweck and me. Carol is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. For many years, she has been doing research on how…
A Time To Be Thankful
This week I am posting something personal. At the time of this writing, we are on our way home after our eight-year-old son, Jack, was hospitalized for a week-long stay with an infectious disease called Kawasaki. Thankfully, he was treated…
Interview with Daniel Wong
The following is a Q & A between Daniel Wong and me. Daniel Wong is the author of The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success. He works with students, educators and parents in the areas of coaching,…
5 Simple Lessons From a 10-year-old
Tobias, a 10 year-old Oklahoma boy, wrote a letter to a local TV station because he had a dream for his 11 year old brother who has Cerebral Palsy. He asked if they could spread the word that he wanted…
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…
A Lesson From A Cross-Walk Guard
This year, my two youngest children started walking to and from school. On the first day, they were excited to tell us about their favorite crossing guard: Mr. Charlie, a grandfatherly man who stops each child to introduce himself. He…
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…
7 ‘First Days Of School’ Questions
One of my favorite books to recommend to new teachers is Harry Wong’s First Days of School. In it, he outlines the essentials for establishing, organizing, and implementing good routines and procedures for students. I call it “teaching with both…
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…
Interview with Tim Elmore
The following is a Q & A exchange between Dr. Tim Elmore and me. I had the privilege of connecting with Tim when a mutual friend introduced us after seeing I had recommended his book, Generation iY, and I am…
Purpose Motivated Leadership
Recently, I was listening to an EntreLeadership Podcast interview of Lisa Earle McLeod discussing her book Selling With Noble Purpose. The premise of the conversation was that in corporations, the sales reps who make up the top 2% of highest…