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

Last week my family and I traveled back to Tennessee to see my parents and extended family. My parents both turned 79 this past year. Life has slowed down a lot for them now. One of my mother’s favorite past times, for instance, is walking the woods — gathering treasures like small rocks or interesting […] The post PMP179: Special Edition – Principal Matters 2019 Year In Review appeared first on Principal Matters.

Just like you, I can think of many reasons to worry about the future or raise concerns about trends that have developed over the past decade. Whether that includes increases in school shootings, soaring health care costs, rises in the costs of education, the number of children experiencing trauma, growing concerns in climate change or […] The post PMP178: 10 Positive Takeaways from the Past Decade appeared first on Principal Matters.

A few weeks ago, I was sharing with a group of principals one of my favorite video-clips from the movie, The Incredibles. It’s the scene where Lucius, aka the superhero, Frozone, is watching as his city is under attack from his apartment window. He pushes a button on his remote control to open a wall […] The post PMP177: Cha Cha’s for Making Learning Stick with LeAnn Nickelsen appeared first on Principal Matters.

Thank you @JenSchwanke for the great takeaways in this encore episode! #principalmatters #edleadership The post Encore146: Balancing Priorities with Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.

In October 2018, William Stubbs, an instructional leadership director at Oklahoma City Public Schools at the time, entered and won the Teach for America’s Shark Tank OKC as a contestant in the city’s Shark Tank competition. He was awarded $10,000 to implement stronger partnerships and mentoring opportunties for the city’s young men of color with […] The post PMP176: Leading Through Equity with William Stubbs appeared first on Principal Matters.

Do you remember what is was like to be a middle school student? For many people, memories of those years often bring back stories filled with anxiety and awkward physical, emotional, and social changes. According to Phyllis Fagell, however, those years can be good ones. “Probably what people might be most surprised to know is […] The post PMP175: Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell appeared first on Principal Matters.

Every person in your school is at a different level of growth. Not just students, but teachers are also at stages of growth. Leadership is not any different. Some educators are just beginning the journey. Others are finishing their first few years, and some are experiencing years of mastery in certain strategies or subjects. Over […] The post PMP174: 10 Areas to Focus on for Growth as a Leader with Chris Legleiter appeared first on Principal Matters.

When I was in college, I had a blue 1981 Toyota Celica that overheated on the long trip to Oklahoma, and the engine burned up. It was my first car. I had bought it with the money I earned over summers as a shell diver in the Kentucky Lake area.  But now it was toast, […] The post PMP173: Lessons in Leadership from Your Scars appeared first on Principal Matters.

Thank you @johnwink90 for sharing these great takeaways for teachers and school leaders! #principalmatters @SolutionTree The post PMP172: Learning and Leading with John Wink appeared first on Principal Matters.

Six years ago, on October 31, 2013, my son Jack was eight years old. We had just finished an amazing day of trick-or-treating, and he asked if he could change back into his normal clothes. This was a big deal because he had been wearing a hosptial gown for almost ten days. On this Halloween, […] The post PMP:170 Four Lessons in Teamwork from my Son’s Hospital Stay appeared first on Principal Matters.