Bill Clouse is a principal in Wisconsin. He’s a 31-year veteran with 26 years in administration.

In this episode, we talk about using people in the right way, eliminating staff meetings, and how the mastermind kept him motivated and energized even though he could have retired.

One agenda item on staff meetings: To complain about what is going on.
Building Leadership Team - Leaders of PLCs.
4 months to create change.
In a staff meeting, you get a lot of mob mentality.
Using strengths
Knowing staff well enough to be a successful team.
How to get to know their strengths.
Need to be in their classrooms
If someone comes to me with their idea, they’re going to work to make sure it doesn’t fail.
A great admin team - 5 people.
We genuinely get along and like each other.
Initially, I was a little skeptical about the mastermind.
An outlet to talk through problems that we are having.
I’m the only high school principal we have.
The mastermind stoked the fire.
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
Stroke your racehorses and shoot your jackasses.
Where the bear shits in the buckweed.
Education is never wasted, so keep going.
How to be a transformative principal? Be present. People need to know that you care. Don’t change unless it has to be changed.

Sponsors TeachFX

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John Catt

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles:

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

Join the Transformative Mastermind Today and work on your school, not just in it. Apply today.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

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Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Ep. 71: What is a Humanist Celebrant? – Sarah Ray