Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker

Throughout the world, schools are managing the challenges of school closures in response to news of the spreading corona virus or COVID-19. As a school leader, you are expected to manage difficulties, but sometimes you are managing in uncharted territory. Also in the midst of helping others, what can you do to make sure you’re […] The post PMP186: Reboot for Principals with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

What stories have shaped your own leadership journey? I recently finished reading, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. If you’re unfamiliar with the book, Tara Westover grew up in a rural Idaho with parents who embraced radical ideologies, including not giving their daughter a birth certificate, not vaccinating her, and not providing her with any […] The post PMP185: The Power of Sharing Your Own Story appeared first on Principal Matters.

Why is hiring such an important part of your responsibility as a principal? First and foremost, because the students, teachers, and community members deserve high quality education experiences. And secondly, because the people in your school often reflect on your own leadership.  Although we cannot judge ourselves by the way others behave, school leaders are […] The post PMPEncore151: Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters.

One day the teachers at Indian Run Elementary, in Dublin, Ohio, organized a “Flash TACO bar” – a spontaneous buffet meal where they shared great food and fun together. As principal of the school, Jen Schwanke reflected on the joy and creativity of her teachers: they not only love teaching but they also enjoy working […] The post PMPEncore150: Hiring High Quality Educators, Part 1 appeared first on Principal Matters.

It goes without saying that in order to lead you must have followers. But taking others to a destination doesn’t just mean accomplishing all the to-do’s on your checklist. Leadership requires relationships. And meaningful relationships do not happen by accident; they are intentional and purposeful. Part of building meaningful relationships involves understanding yourself and the […] The post PMP184: 5 Voices for Leading Teams with Jeremie Kubicek appeared first on Principal Matters.

“When is a time you have used grit, and what lesson did you learn?” This is just one of 100 questions you find included in the Table Talk Cards that come as a bonus with the book Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population by Dr. Tim Elmore and Andrew […] The post PMP183: Gen Z Unfiltered, Part 2 with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters.

Students today face newer and different challenges than students of the past. Although many of the skills or values they need to be successful remain the same regardless of time and place, they also have unique challenges that make them one of the most anxious generations in history. If we “take the filters” off our […] The post PMP182: Generation Z Unfiltered with Andrew McPeak appeared first on Principal Matters.

I am digging into the archives of Principal Matters to bring you an episode from January 2018, when I had the privilege to interview Dr. Judi Barber. First, let me tell you a story. During the previous Christmas break of 2017, I had taken my family to see the newest Star Wars movie. In the […] The post Encore099: Collaborating for Results – Interview with Dr. Judi Barber appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with a team of new assistant principals. As we talked about their first semester, they shared the lessons they’ve learned in time management, communication, and problem solving. They are finding their unique places on new teams, understanding their new roles for the first time, and […] The post PMP181: Finding Your Swing – How Leadership & Teamwork Go Hand-in-Hand appeared first on Principal Matters.

What does it take for small actions to produce big results? Over Christmas break, I listened to the audio-version of Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and learned some value lessons we can apply to our schools. Let me quickly summarize by saying that Gladwell painstakingly details the phenomenon […] The post PMP180: Tipping Points and Why Small Things Matter appeared first on Principal Matters.