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

Jesse Haynes is one of those rare people you meet in life who has dared to make his dreams come true. He is a recent graduate from the University of Tulsa who has reached audacious personal goals, published multiple books, and created podcasts with millions of downloads – just while in high school and college. […] The post PMP159: Engaging Students in Shaping Their Own Stories with Jesse Haynes appeared first on Principal Matters.

In 2017, Justin Baeder, from Principal Center Radio, invited me as a guest on his show to talk to me about my book Messaging Matters: How to Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities. Justin was gracious enough to allow me to repost the interview with my readers and listeners. This week I want to share that […] The post PMP:Encore076 Messaging Matters – How to Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students and Reach Communities appeared first on Principal Matters.

A few nights ago I was sitting in a theater with my wife watching the movie, Yesterday, starring Himesh Patel and Lily James. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I do want to say I was completely affected by the nostalgia and its focus on the legacy of Beatles music. In fact, […] The post PMP158: Why Telling Your Own Story Matters appeared first on Principal Matters.

Jenny is a returning student at her high school. She has a part-time job which keeps her up late most nights. When she arrives late to school, she has already missed breakfast and she’s tardy. She stands in a long line at the counseling office until she is given her class schedule. She reads it […] The post PMP157: Preparing for the Start-of-School Year appeared first on Principal Matters.

When my family recently visited the Rocky Mountain National Park, we enjoyed drives through snow-peaked mountains.  But my 13-year old son, Jack, was most excited about hiking and climbing. One morning, we gathered the family by Shadow Mountain Lake, and began a hike along the lake that eventually led to a 3-mile ascent to a […] The post PMP156: 6 Tips for Managing School-Wide Changes appeared first on Principal Matters.

Two years ago, my oldest daughter graduated from the high school where I was principal. When she headed off to college that fall, it was a mix of celebration and grief on my part. Recently, Jen Schwanke and I co-hosted two podcast episodes on Parenting as Principals. You can check them out here: Part 1 […] The post PMPEncore077: Four Tips for Parents as Principals appeared first on Principal Matters.

This week’s post is an encore episode I shared a couple of years ago. Since I’m enjoying some vacation, I thought I would remind you why your time away from school may help you better serve your school. Regardless of whether someone is an educator or not, or whether your vacation time is long or […] The post PMPEncore028: Four Reasons Your Vacation Matters appeared first on Principal Matters.

When I was in junior high school, everyone on my basketball team wore Converse high-tops. Yes, that means I’m officially from the 70’s! I’ll never forget mine: They were the color of golden-rod, and I was so proud of them that I never wore them outside the gym because I didn’t want to scuff them up. […] The post PMP:Encore090 Branding Your School with Marlena Gross-Taylor appeared first on Principal Matters.

A few years ago, we had a lockdown drill at the high school where I was principal. Local police had called to say they were aware of a potential threat against our school on social media. They were locating the person of interest in a location outside the school community but wanted us to lockdown […] The post PMP155: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 2 appeared first on Principal Matters.

Oklahoma has experienced its share of storms and severe weather this spring. The other day, our family was sitting in our storm closet as sirens were sounding at 6:30AM. Afterwards, I was driving my seventh-grade son, Jack, to school. As we approached the school, I began to predict how his principals would manage the morning. […] The post PMP154: Parenting as Principals – Do’s and Don’ts, Part 1 appeared first on Principal Matters.