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

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to spend a few hours sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with Dave Sandowich. He commanded his 42-foot sailboat, Charis, with the skill of a man who has spent the past forty years on the water anytime when he wasn’t leading his school or his family. Dave, a […] The post PMP169: Leading into the Wind – Lessons from Dave Sandowich appeared first on Principal Matters.

If you are like most school leaders, time management can be one of the most difficult parts of your work. Most new school leaders I meet explain how overwhelming the list of to-do’s can be. What are the solutions? Well, Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang provide a wealth of information on resources and practices that […] The post PMP168: Managing Your Day with Kim Marshall and Jenn David-Lang appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last week was the first time (except for a rare Christmas holiday) that I have not shared a blog post or podcast episode update in almost five years. At first, I thought it was because I’ve been so busy. Last weekend I flew to Florida for my nephew’s wedding. Then on Monday, I flew from […] The post PMP167: Keeping Your Leadership Focused on Service, Not Self appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week I’m sharing another episode from the road as I have been traveling across my state, Oklahoma, visiting principals at schools or in regional meetings. Recently, I visited Texhoma, Oklahoma, with High School Principal Connie Miller. After touring her school that serves students grades 5-12, she drove me one mile across the community to […] The post PMP166: Unique Challenges of Rural Principals and Why Your Story Matters appeared first on Principal Matters.

Several years ago, I was standing in our school lunchroom watching hundreds of students eat breakfast. I was positioned in the middle section of the room, and the front doors of the school were about one hundred feet across the room from me. Dozens of students were entering when I saw one high school boy […] The post PMP165: Three Lessons in Decision Making from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink appeared first on Principal Matters.

These last couple of week, I’ve been on the road a lot visiting schools and principals across my state. For the next couple of weeks, I plan to share some thoughts from the road – literally. This week’s episode I recorded while driving (after safely cuing my recorder before starting a long drive). 5 Takeaways […] The post PMP164: On the Road – Thoughts for New School Leaders appeared first on Principal Matters.

Thank you @jethrojones for collaborating together to answer principal questions! #education #leadership #principalmatters #transformativeprincipals The post PMP163: Encouraging an Environment of Growth – Questions and Answers with Jethro Jones appeared first on Principal Matters.

Author David Weinberger once said: “The smartest person in the room is the room itself.” In other words, the collective power of our thinking is always more powerful than working in isolation. By connecting with others, we can stretch our thinking and be motivated to take new actions. This week I’m thrilled to bring back […] The post PMP162: Go! Community – How to Harness the Power of the Room with Danny Bauer appeared first on Principal Matters.

Last week Jen Schwanke and I answered questions from podcast listeners. Listen to Part 1 here. This week we take three more questions from principals on parenting, women in leadership, and professional growth. Here’s our feedback, or you can listen to the entire conversation on the podcast: Question 1: How do you manage being a […] The post PMP161: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters.

Recently, several questions came from Principal Matters community members. This week, Jen Schwanke, principal and author, joined me to answer several questions from principals or aspiring principals. Here are a three questions we take time to discuss and respond to: Question 1: Finding my first principal position… Hello! I have just completed my masters program […] The post PMP160: Answers to Principal Matters Questions, Part 1 appeared first on Principal Matters.